·Bibliography This section of the journal lists (a) significant Romanian press articles on religion and atheism, (b) selected articles from official Romanian religious publications, (c) Roma­ nian unofficial religious documentation, (d) significant Soviet press articles on religion and atheism, (e) selected articles from official Soviet religious publications, (f) samizdat (self-published material) from or about religious groups in the USSR, (g) samizdat from or about religious groups in Czechoslovakia, (h) selected articles from official Bulgarian religious publications, (i) samizdat from or about religious groups in Poland and listed under the unofficial Polish journals in which it has appeared. RCL began listing all Soviet religious samizdat from the beginning of 1972, as well as earlier documents as they reached the West. Since RCL No. 3, 1978, this section has become selective. Where no published source is given, a Russian (or other original language) text is available from Keston College unless otherwise stated. Researchers who wish to order copies of these documents are invited to do so, but are asked to observe the following conditions. Where a published source is given, texts should be ordered directly. Texts ordered from Keston College cost lOp per page (plus 15 % VAT, UK only); postage will be added to the bill. Keston College requires full texts of samizdat documents in readers' possession but not yet received at its office. Please check on the relevant period and country as covered in the Bibliography. RCL No. 2, 1980 covered significant Romanian press articles on religion and atheism forI November 1979. The present issue deals with June and December 1979. RCL No. 2, 1980 covered selected articles from official Romanian religious publica­ tions for the period March to December 1978. The present issue deals with the period January to June 1979. RCL No. 2, 1980 covered significant Soviet press articles on religion and atheism for the period July to September 1979. The presenfissue deals with the period October to December 1979. RCL No. 2, 1980 covered selc;cted articles from offiCial Soviet religious publications for the period July to November 1979. The present issue deals with the period November and December 1979. RCL No. 1, 1980 covered selected articles from official Bulgarian religious publica­ tions for the period January to March 1978. The present issue deals with the period April to July 1978. Please note that the transliteration system used in the Soviet section of the Biblio­ graphy is based on the Russian spelling of names and places, except in cases where the original language uses the Roman alphabet. Bibliography 245 Romanian Press Articles Date June 1979 - Viitorul Social, No. 2, 1979, pp. 384-7. "Sociological aspects of contemporary religious phenomena", by Ana Balasa. Sociological studies prove that religion is dying out. The results of surveys taken in 1947, 1968 and 1~75 show that adherence to religious practices has declined. A growing number of people today find that "certain elements in the Christian faith have become unbelievable". The article quotes statistics compiled by sociologists Fernand Bernard and F. A. Isambert. Date December 1979 - Revista de Filozojie, No. 4, 1979, pp. 469-72. "Religion, atheism, the study of religion", by Florin Georgescu. Religion and atheism are two distinct steps in history. The past belonged to religion, the future belongs to atheism. The aim in studying religion scientifically is to instil an atheist worldview in all members of society. - Ditto, pp. 475-9. "Construction of socialism and the lay people's social conscience", by Dionizy Tanalski (Poland). As a result of the decline in religious beliefs and theological determinism, the social conscience which has found alternatives and been modified throughout the centuries is being replaced. We are now witnessing the birth of the social conscience of the future. Throughout history the Church's thinking about the position and role of man has changed as the general view of man has changed. When the world adopted a humanist concept of man, so did the Church. In socialist States lay people are modifying church doctrine to fit in with society. - Ditto, pp. 517-20. "Theodicy: difficulties and transformation", by Gheorghe Vladetescu. In order to accept Gabriel Marcel's view that theodicy (the belief that the world is a perfect creation of God and that evil has a different origin) is a possible outcome of atheism, one must first rationalize the existence of God. The article gives the opinions of several scholars, e.g. Plotin, Cleanthe, Augustin, Anselm, Descartes and others, on the existence of God. The author concludes that although it is an interesting subject, religion is not in a position to sustain itself. - Ditto, pp. 520-5. "Radical tendencies in contemporary Protestant theology", by N. I. Maris. Radical theology is a new Protestant orientation that has appeared in North America in the last two decades. It is based on the concept that God is dead. The absence of a real dialogue between the Church and the world is one reason for the appearance of radical theology. Although it is closer to Marxist thought, it is still outside the atheist position; but dialogue with radical theologians about the contemporary problems of man may be possible in the future. 'I Romanian Religious Press Articles Metropolitanate of Ardeal (Mitropolia Ardealulul) January-March 1979, pp. 59-64. "Christianity and Judaism in perspective: an inter­ religious dialogue." Doctoral dissertation by Dumitru Abrudan which discusses areas. of similarity betwtlen Christianity and Judaism. April-June 1979, pp. 312-18. "The Church and aspirations of the contemporary world", by Professor Dr Grigorie Marcu. The national and social aspirations of the Romanian people puts two major events in a clear light-the liberation of the country from fascism, and the liberation from interdenominational dissension be­ tween the religious cults. The most important contribution of the Romanian Orthodox Church to the building up of political and social morals is to be firmly loyal to the Romanian socialist State. Metropolitanate of Moldova and Suceava (Mitropolia Moldovei si Sucevei) March-June 1979, pp. 247-53. Report on Patriarch Justin's visit to the USA and Canada and a brief history of the Romanian Orthodox Church in North America. 246 Bibliography Romanian Unofficial Religious Documents ROMANIAN BAPTIST CHURCH Ro/1979/BAP 22. Letter to the Central Committee bf the Romanian Communist Party and Nicolae Ceausescu from Ludovic Osvath; 5 September. Requests the re-establishment of a Hungarian committee within the Romanian Baptist Union, the election of a leader from among the Hungarian pastors and the re-establishment of a Hungarian re­ ligious magazine. Romanian: 4 pp. Carbon copy. ROMANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Ro/1978/0RT 17. Autobiography of Traian Dorz, the leader of the "Lord's Army"; 1 January. Lists his poetry, writings and other published works. Romanian: 5 pp. Photocopy. MISCELLANEOUS Ro/1979/M 12. Letter to L. I. Brezhnev from the Christian Committee for the Defence of Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience (ALRC); 22 October. Cites examples of persecution for religious beliefs and states which Soviet laws and treaties have thereby been violated. Romanian: 3 pp. Photocopy. 13. Document, "Church and State", from ALRC; 10 November. Lists problems ex­ perienced by the churches at Negreni (Baptist), Girbau (Baptist), Medias (phila­ delphia-Pentecostal), Resita (Baptist No. 2 and Pentecostal No. 1) and elsewhere, and names those who were fined. Romanian: 16 pp. Photocopy. Soviet Press Articles Date October 1979 4 Izvestiya, p. 5. A group of Quakers from the United States, headed by Professor I. Mendelson of Harvard University, is visiting the Soviet Union at the invitation of the Soviet committee for the defence of peace. In conversations with them the importance of ratifying the SALT-IT treaty was affirmed. 5 Izvestiya, p. 6. "Visit of religious personalities from Mghanistan", TASS. A delegation of religious leaders from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has ~ completed a two-week tour of the USSR. They were guests of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. They visited mosques and medressehs, and expressed satisfaction with the freedom of religion in the USSR. The delegation was headed by Abdul Aziz Sadek, chairman of the Council of Ulemas of Mghanistan. 18 Izvestiya, p. 6. A delegation from the Catholic Church of Hungary headed by Cardinal Uszl6 Ukai is visiting the Soviet Union at the invitation of Patriarch Pimen. The delegation familiarized itself with church life in Moscow, Leningrad, Vilnius, Kiev and Zhitomir, and was received by V. A. Kuroyedov, chairman of the CRA. , . 23 Molodyozh Moldav;;, p. 3. "Marriages are made on earth", by Yu. Ryurikov (part one of a three-part series; parts two and three appear under the same title on 25 October, p. 3, and 30 October, p. 3), reprinted from Nauka i religiya, No. 9, 1979. Discusses the difficulties of keeping a marriage together and examines the claim of believers that a high divorce rate is the product of an irreligious age. The author admits that divorce was far less common in the age of faith, but argues that times have changed so drastically that it is difficult to pinpoint the exactcause of the rise in the divorce rate. He quotes lengthy passages from Orthodox and Baptist texts and criticizes them superficially. Bibliography 247 27 !zvestiya, p. 4. "Appeal of the representatives of the churches of Europe", TASS. Report from the Eighth General Assembly of the Conference of European Churches held on Crete. A resolution was passed calling for the ratification of the SALT-II agreement by the American Senate, for a delay on the decision about whether new American rockets should be placed in Europe until after negotiations on mutual force reductions are opened, and an end to the arms race. 31 Sovetskaya Rossiya, p.